إذا أنت لم تَحْفل بمدحٍ من امرئٍ

إذا أنت لم تَحْفل بمدحٍ من امرئٍ

فأنصِفْ ولا تَحْفِل له بهجاءِ

فأنصِفْ ولا تَحْفِل له بهجاءِ

If you pay no heed to a man's praise,

If you pay no heed to the praise of a man

then be fair, and pay no heed to his satire.

Then be fair and pay no heed to his dispraise

وإلا فقد أقررتَ أن مديحَهُ

وإلا فقد أقررتَ أن مديحَهُ

رَضِيٌّ ولكن لا تفي بجزاءِ

رَضِيٌّ ولكن لا تفي بجزاءِ

Otherwise, you have admitted that his praise

Otherwise you have decided that his praise

is pleasing, yet you do not render due recompense.

Pleases you, but does not warrant reward

بلى بجزاءِ الشرِّ بالشر ماهرٌ

بلى بجزاءِ الشرِّ بالشر ماهرٌ

ولستَ تُجازي مُحسناً ببلاءِ

ولستَ تُجازي مُحسناً ببلاءِ

Indeed, you are skilled at repaying evil with evil,

Indeed, an expert in evil for evil in retribution

and you do not reward a benefactor with kindness.

You do not reward a benefactor with affliction

يدٌ خُلقت للنُّكر لا العُرف سَلْطةٌ

يدٌ خُلقت للنُّكر لا العُرف سَلْطةٌ

صَؤول على سُؤّالها الضعفاءِ

صَؤول على سُؤّالها الضعفاءِ

A hand created for wrongdoing, not kindness—overbearing,

A hand created for disfavor, not favor, power

fiercely assailing its weak petitioners.

Tyrannical in its demands upon the weak